Multiroll chocolate refiner and like machines



Sept. 1 ,1952

I A. A. TUNLEY 3 610300 MULTIROLL CHOCOLATE 'REFINER AND LIKE MACHINEFiled May 26, 1950 I NVENTOR Y a m D m. M H N H L A n ATTORNEY PatentedSept. 16, 1952 MULTIROLL CHOCOLATE REFINER AND LIKE MACHINES AllanAshmead'Tunley, Peterborough, England,

assignor to Baker Perkins Limited, Peter- ,borough, England ApplicationMay 26, 1950, Serial No. 164,419

In Great Britain May 30, 1949 3 Claims.

This invention relates to multi-roll chocolate refining machines, suchas five-roll refiners, or similar machines in which a feed roll isprovided for supplying the material to be treated to the lowest or firstof the refining rolls.

In such machines there is a danger of some hard or resistant foreignbody being accidentally fed, together with the supply of the material tobe ground or treated, into the nip/between the feed roll and the firstrefiner roll. Should this occur damage to the machine is liable to ariseif separation at the nip to allow the obstruction to pass does not takeplace.

In order to permit this separation, shear pins have been employed inmechanism which holds the feed roll up to its work, for example, a shearpin has been introduced in the hand wheel mechanism provided at each endof the feed roll for adjusting the nip thereof in relation to the firstrefiner roll. By this arrangement any obstruction liable to produceundue strain in its passage through the hip is intended to cause shearpin rupture to take place and-the feed nip to be relieved. I

This arrangement is not altogether satisfactory as the complete reliefof the hip is dependent upon both pins being sheared, which is likelyonly to occur if the obstruction resides precisely in the middle of thelength of the roll. The fracture of a single pin in the arrangementexemplified above is also unsatisfactory as it affords relief at one endonly of the feed :roll, causing such to tilt, and this tilting may notbe sufiicient to clear the obstruction and it may also damage the rollgears.

Accordingly the aim of the present invention is to overcome theobjections of, the nature above indicated and provide improvementswhereby the .feed roll will give way as a whole to an obstruetionentering the nip, in any position longitudinally of the roll, andfurther, whereby the resistance to displacement of the feed roll is apredetermined uniform factor.

The invention consists in supporting the feed roll in the adjustable nipposition upon a relievable predetermined resistance means common to bothends of the roll (such as a single shear pin or member) to which theforce, set up by an obstruction, acting either upon both or mainly uponone end bearing of the roll, is transmitted to cause its relief. I

The invention also comprises, in a multi-roll refiner or like machinehaving nip adjustment means for the feed roll at each end thereof,providing a displaceable abutment for each adjustment means andconnecting said abutment to a common member dependent upon a single v Inthe accompanying-drawings which illustrate only those parts of a refinernecessary: I

Figure 1 is an end view partly in section of the feed roll and theabutment means.

Figure 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the roll being removed.7

Figure 3 is a view showing the'coupling of the abutment and the singleshear pin.

Figure 4 is a partial plan of Figure 3.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one mode as describedby way of example, the feed roll I for supplying materal to the first ofthe refiner rolls 2 is mounted in bearings which are carried in levermembers 3 pivoted in the frame 4 of the machine such that thedisplacement of said levers 3 by hand wheel gear may be utilised foradjusting the dimensions of the nip between the feed roll I and thefirst refiner roll 2. The lever mounting 3 and hand wheel gear isofknown kind and as each is the same for both ends of the roll, it willbe sufiicient to describe one only. Thepivot 5 of the lever 3 is locatedbelow the roll I and the outer end of the lever has a stirrup 6 in whichis mounted the hand wheel adjustment means for causing the displacementof the roll I about the pivot 5 towards or away from the first refinerroll 2. This hand wheel adjustment means comprises a hand wheel spindle1 on which a worm is formed and this worm engages a worm wheel.

The worm'wheel isinternally screw threaded and acts as a" bushing for acorrespondingly screw-threaded thrust rod 8 which, in the case of theknown arrangement,'operates against a fixed abutment table or face uponrotation of the hand wheel to effect adjustment of the feed roll.According to the present improvement, however, instead of this thrustrod 8 bearing upon a fixed abutment its end is supported upon adisplaceable abutment constituted by one arm 9 of the bell crank leverpivoted on a short shaft In which lies substantially parallel with thehand wheel worm axis.

Referring now to both bell crank leversQthe arms thereof H which do notcontact with the thrust rods are connected to a bar or member [2 commonto both levers. This common bar ex-' In the region of this shear pinorifice lithe"- side frame I6 is provided with a seating for a ring orcage H in which the removable shear .pin I3:

is located in such a position that it may traverse the said orifice I4on the common bar or its extension. The shear pin location may beiexternally covered by a suitable cap I8 secured in anyconvenient mannerto the side frames of the machine. In one convenient-form the common barmember I 2 may comprise 'a pair of parallel rods I211, I211 of elongatedrectangular cross-section bolted together in spaced relation and havingat the end towards the shear pin location acon necting rod or extensionI 5 pivoted at 22'between the ends of said rods I211, I212.

In operation, when either hand wheel spindle 1 is turned, the associatedworm-bushing is rotated and causes the thrust 'rod- 8 to react againstthe abutment arm 9 of 'thebell crank levers 9, I I anchored through thecommon bar 'I2' on-the shear pin I3, and displace the corresponding endof the feed roll I towards the first refiner roll 2. By manipulation ofboth hand wheel spindles! the parallelism of the -nip-may beadjusted'to'the desired clearance. 'I'hroughthe connection of the bellcrank levers 9, I I tothe'commonmember or rod I2'the positionof theabutment arms 91s maintained entirely by the'single shear pin I3; andshould the shear pin fracture then both the abutments 9 will drop andconsequentlythe feed roll nip will be relieved 'atboth ends equally.

Thus when an obstruction enters the nip tending to cause the nipclearance-to increase, the-pressure caused thereby will be transmittedto one or both of said'abutments 9 and from thence to the shear pin I3causing its fracture, with theresult that the feed roll willretract fromthe refiner roll 2 and relieve the nip so that the obstruction canpass.roll I is dependent for its position upon the shear pin I3 it will beappreciated that wherever .an

obstruction enters a nip anywhere along 'the' length thereofcne orother'ofthe ends of the feed roll I will be displaced and the shear pinI3 will be ruptured, thereby'removing the operative support from bothends ofthe feed roll.

At the end'of the bar I 2 remote from the shear pin location or at anyother suitable position an adjustable cam may be mounted adapted toengage the roll 23 on the arm'24 of a limit switch;

The switch is in- El mounted ontheframe 4. cludedin the circuit of thedriving motor for the refiner rolls so that in the event of the pin 13being broken the motor will cut out.

I claim:

1. In a multi-roll refining machine the combination' comprising: a'frame; a refinerroll and means rotatably supporting said roll infixedrelaticnship to said frame; a feed-'rollybearings rotatablysupporting each end of said feed. roll; means mounting thereof onto theframe about-a mount- As each end of the feed,

supporting said bearings for pivotal,

ing axis spaced from and parallel to the axis of said roll; an abutmentpivotally ailixed to said frame, means including a frangible memberholding said abutment against pivotal movement with respect to saidframe; means carri d by the housing of one of said bearings and bearingagainstsaidabutment for moving said feed roll about said mounting axisand adjusting its spacing thereof with respect to said refining roll.

2.. In a multi-roll refining machine the com bination comprising: aframe; a refiner roll and means rotatably supporting said roll in fixedrelationshipto saidframe; a feed roll; bearings rotatablysupporting-each end of said feed roll; means supporting said bearingsfor pivotal mountingthereof onto the frame about a mounting-axis spacedfrom and parallel to the axis of saidroll; an abutment adjacent each endof said roll and each of said abutments being pivotally 20 mounted ontosaid frame; means connectingsaid abutments to effect-simultaneousmovement of each-thereof; means including a frangiblemember. .holding'said connecting means for the prevention of movement of said abutments;means 25 supported upon" the housing of each of said bearings andb'earingagainst said abutments for moving-'said-feed roll about saidmounting axis towardsaid refining 'roll; whereby upon fracture of saidfrangible member, said abutments will fall simultaneouslyand said lastnamed means mu be .rendered ineffective;

'3. In a multi-roll refining; machine, the combination comprising: aframe; a-refiner roll and means rotatably supporting said 'roll' infixed relationship to said-frame; a feed roll; bearings r0- tatablysupporting eachend'of said feed roll; means supporting said bearings forpivotal mounting thereof onto theframe about an axis spaced from andparallel to the axis of said roll; an abutment adjacent each end of saidroll and eachof said abutments being pivotally mounted onto said frame;a rod-connecting said-abutments to effect simultaneous movement of eachthereof; means including a shear pin extending between said rod and saidframe-for preventing movement of said abutments; means supported uponeach bearing housing-and bearing against said abutmentsfor moving saidfeed roll about said mounting axis toward said refining roll;

whereby upon fracture of said shear pin, said abutments will fallsimultaneously and said last named means will be rendered ineffective;

ALLAN ASHMEAD 'I'UNLEY.

'3 REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofirecord' in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 158,257 Dobler Dec. 29', 1874266,152 Holt Oct. 17, 1882 315,583 Wild Apr. 14, 1885 323,432 ErenbergJuly 2, 1885 1,535,392 Ashton Apr. 28,1925 1,645,672 Van Suan Oct. 13,1927 1,901,159 Guest Mar. 14, 1933' 2,114,660 Thalman -1 Apr.- 19, 19382,182,900 McIlvreid et al Dec. 12, 1939 2,205,370 Brice June 18, 19402,273,772 Pollitz Feb. 17,- 1942

